


The Rules

by gretawhy



Category: NSYNC
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 11:52:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10639290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gretawhy/pseuds/gretawhy





	

Whatever happened to not going to bed angry?

That was the rule.

Yeah, well, I guess tonight we’re going to break it, huh?

You’re just sitting there, hunched over the desk, acting like you’re writing a song. Come on, Jayce, I know you better than that. If you’re going to at least _pretend_ to be writing, make the damn pen move over the paper. Even if you’re just writing ‘Lance is an asshole’ over and over.

Although, I really hope that’s not what you’re thinking.

Earlier, when I needed to get away, when I needed to escape from the yelling and fighting, when I just needed to get the hell away from you before I said something I was going to regret, I retreated to the bathroom. Where I proceeded to take the longest damn shower of my life. I guess you wouldn’t know that I pretty much just sat on the floor of the shower, the water cascading over me as I cried my damn eyes out.

And what was the fight about anyway? Something stupid, I’m sure. Something so trivial and inconsequential that I can’t even remember. Something so small that it didn’t deserve to be hashed and rehashed until I stormed out of here.

But, we had such a bad day, what did we expect? First the meeting with Johnny that totally did not got the way you wanted it to. And who is he to say we’re too obvious, anyway? But then the fans at lunch didn’t help any. My God, we finally get one damn lunch to ourselves, without Joey, without Chris, without Justin, just the two of us, and the fans just flock to us.

I told you we needed to stay away from the Hard Rock Café.

Now this.

Now you’re sitting there, pretending to write, pretending to be so lost in writing that song that you don’t hear me come out of the bathroom. You want to know something else, Jayce? I know you’re faking it because no matter how engrossed you are in your music, you at least glance at me when I come back into the room after a shower. You know I come out of the bathroom in only a pair of sweatpants just for you. And you never miss that. Never.

I guess that’s another rule you’re going to break tonight.

So what do I do? I just stand here like a moron, staring at the back of your head. Staring at the black strands that are messy from your fingers running through it, the strands that are sticking straight up on your scalp. Staring at your hand as it lifts from the desk to rub the tense muscles at the nape of your neck. Staring at your upturned face as you tilt your head back, your sky blue eyes closed to the room, and take a deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Staring at _you_ , JC, and trying to figure out how the hell I’m going to fix whatever is wrong.

I want to go to you and push away your hand. I want to place my hands on your neck and gently knead the muscles until the tenseness dissipates. I want to feel the tension leave your body. I want to be the one to take it away. I want to cross this room and wrap my arms around your neck and whisper how much I love you in your ear.

But what do I do? Nothing. Not a damn thing. I just sigh and cross to the bed. I put my back to you as I crawl under the covers, closing my eyes at an attempt at sleep.

I feel you come to bed minutes later. I hear you take off your clothes and I just know you’re leaving them lie where they fell. You know that really pisses me off, right? I feel the weight of the bed shift slightly under your weight. Through my closed eyelids I can vaguely see the light go off in the room.

Since when did a Queen size bed seem so damn big?

*****

It’s later now, and I still cannot find sleep. I haven’t moved yet, not quite comfortable, yet too damn lazy to make the effort to bring comfort. It’s not like I could do anything about it anyway, I know it’s being so far from you that suddenly turns me into an insomniac. When was the last time we slept without touching? When was the last time we didn’t fall asleep in each other’s arms?

You’re having a restless night, and that makes me feel better. At least I’m not the only one.

I smile in the darkness as you sigh in your sleep. I want to turn and look at your face in the moonlight, but you shut the drapes before coming to bed, knowing how I can’t sleep with even the tiniest bit of light. So I lie still, letting out a sigh of my own as my eyes fall shut again.

Sleep is slow in coming, and when it’s finally knocking at my door, you move. I curse you softly under my breath, and then the same breath catches in my throat as I feel your body turn to mine.

You move closer to me, your arm finding its way over my waist, your face fitting perfectly in the curve of my neck. I feel your breath on my bare shoulder as you exhale and it sends shivers up and down my spine.

“JC,” I whisper, trying to see if you’re awake.

There’s no response, and I know you’re still asleep.

I snuggle deeper into your embrace and I put my own arm on top of yours and intertwine our fingers. Your leg wraps around mine, somehow tightening the bond we’re sharing, and I lightly rub my foot against your calf.

The smile on my face widens as I realize you unconsciously rolled to me in your sleep. It was as if your body was telling you that you were having a restless night, and pointed you in the direction of peace.

The fight of the day left your mind in sleep, and you came back to me, came back to the place that was right, the place where you belonged.

My eyes fall shut as sleep comes to me. I love being this close to you, I love you holding me as we fall asleep. Hell, who am I kidding? I just love you. Period. End of story.

And that’s one rule I’ll never break.


End file.
